One White Rose

The Clayborne Roses #3

by Julie Garwood

Douglas Clayborne will never turn his back on anyone in need, and everyone in Blue Belle knows it. Time and again, his intolerance of cruelty of any kind has made him a champion of the defenseless ... but his quiet strength faces its ultimate battle when he meets Isabel Grant. He arrives at her ranch to pick up the magnificent Arabian stallion he's purchased, but he cannot leave the vulnerable woman behind when he discovers the danger that threatens her. Convincing the stubborn, strong-willed beauty that she needs him is another matter. Douglas can stop the men from stealing her ranch and her horses, but he cannot stop Isabel Grant from stealing his heart.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Westerns, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Novella

150 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1997

About the author

With more than 35 million books in print and 26 NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers, Julie Garwood has earned a position among America's favorite fiction writers.

Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Ms. Garwood attributes much of her success to growing up in a large family of Irish heritage. "The Irish are great storytellers who relish getting all of the details and nuances of every situation. Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children. Early in life, I learned that self expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick," says Ms. Garwood.

She began her writing career when the youngest of her three children entered school. After the publications of two young-adult books, she turned her talents to historical fiction. Her first novel, GENTLE WARRIOR, was published by Pocket Books in 1985. Since then, she has branched into other genres including contemporary romantic suspense. Today, her name appears regularly on the bestseller lists of every major publication in the country, and her books are translated into dozens of languages around the world. Her bestselling novel FOR THE ROSES was adapted for the HALLMARK HALL OF FAME television movie ROSE HILL.

Ms. Garwood lives in Leawood, KS and is currently working on her next novel.

Reviews

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another sweet story from Julie Garwood.

I really like Douglas Clayborne. He seemed to be less of a presence in For the Roses and One Pink Rose, so it was a real pleasure getting to know him in this story.

Isabel Grant is a likable character and had many trials to overcome. She and Douglas work together, learn to compromise and everything turns out just fine.


The funniest part of this book was the ending when she tells Douglas that he was right and she only slept with him because she felt obligated to him and that she had to sleep with the doctor because she was obligated to him but not to worry because his wife was ok with it, then had to sleep with Wendell because she was obligated to him, too and his wife was ok with it, then announced that she was going to sleep with each of Douglas' brothers because they had helped her out and she felt obligated to them too. Then she hollers over to Cole "Cole, can I have a minute of your time?" ROFL Too funny!

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, to give a little context 💀:

There's this discount library/bookstore at a mall, and I've managed to find a couple of JG books BUT there's this random ass person who keeps buying the ones that I try to save- AND I'M NOT EVEN JOKING THIS PERSON HID A COUPLE OF BOOKS KSJKSJSK.

So it's a struggle to find physical copies of these books bc they don't sell them at normal retail stores. So whoever that person is, I hope they know that I'm coming for them 👹.

Anyways 😭- I managed to find a physical copy of this hidden between two sci-fi books (trust me she's musty 💀). Nothing will stop me from finding more JG books to add to my collection 💀.

-=-

But yeah, I didn't love the book 💀, but it was short and sweet.

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a story begins with a woman in labor holding a man at gunpoint, it’s got my attention. This began as a five-star read, but dropped to four when I realized it was a novella and Julie Garwood was cheating me out of a full-length story about a Clayborne brother AGAIN!

Then I got so miffed at Douglas’s abysmally silly—not to mention stupid—excuse for hurting and shunning Isabel the day after he took her to bed that I dropped it to three stars. Yeah, yeah, he was the hero, he saved her from the bad guys, big deal. He acted like an asswipe, and the book ended before he could regain any esteem I had for him.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read: 12/9/25
Setting: Victorian Montana
Trope: baby surprise

We finally get Douglas's story and it was worth it!

plot:
Douglas arrives to finish buying a horse his brother was sold, only to find a very pregnant Isabel pointing a gun at him. She's afraid he was hired by Boyle, a man who has been terriozing her. Boyle probably killed her husband. He demands Isabel marries him. Boyle has cut off all aide in order to force Isabel's hand. She's surprised Douglas made it through Boyle's posted men. Isabel goes into labor before she can elaborate further. Luckily, Douglas is there to save the day! Love him for that 🥰.

Boyle will be leaving soon and then Douglas will help Isabel and the baby to safety. He just needs to keep out of sight of Boyle's hired goons. A bond forms instantly between the pair and their attraction soon blooms into love. Still, Douglas must first concentrate on keeping Isabel and the new baby alive and then he'll make Boyle pay for all his sins!

Conclusion: This was the perfect novella! There were many problems but for 150 pages 🤷‍♀️ I was impressed! This was definitely an improvement compared to Travis's story.

[Meredith is a hot mess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I'm almost embarrassed to admit how much I enjoyed reading this book. It's a sugary sweet, wholesome romance. I love Julie Garwood's humour, but it's the type of humour some of my friends would roll their eyes too and tell me their grandma thinks it's funny.

I fell in love with all the Clayborne brothers in For the Roses by Julie Garwood and it was a delight seeing Douglas get his hea. I'm a sucker for a Hero that's good with kids. Douglas has a mixture of masculine, protective, and nurturing traits that makes me melt.

While reading I wondered if Julie Garwood was at all inspired by Once Upon A Time in the West. The heroine in this book is an abandoned widow, alone on a property called 'Sweet Creek.' A gun-slinging outlaw wants the widows' land. This made me want to watch the movie, Once Upon a Time in the West, which I hadn't seen in awhile. Watching it made me realize how AMAZING that movie is. Viewing it after reading some dark romances and crime noir novels gave me a better appreciation for the heroine and dialogue. The dialogue was snappy, smart and reminded me of the dialogue from some crime noir novels too. Jill wasn't punished for her sexuality or made to be the villain like the femme fatales in crime noir novels, which was refreshing.

Anyway, I'm getting a bit off track...but this book did the trick, it was a great palette cleanser and I'm now in the mood to read something darker and grittier. Does a Western novel exist that has similar themes and tropes that are in Once Upon a Time in the West? With excellent, smart dialogue? It doesn't even have to be a romance, that's one thing I love about Once Upon a Time in the West. It's sexy, but not romantic (imo anyway). I remember first watching it and my romantic self almost thought for a second Harmonica would end up with Jill, before I reminded myself I was watching a Leone movie.

That rape scene with Frank. Wow. It's, um, unique. The softness of the music and Frank's caresses juxtaposed with the reality of situation makes it all the more disturbing. Again, my romantic self thought for a second Harmonica would bust in and save Jill...but he didn't. Jill used her sexuality to save herself. Harmonica was more concerned with revenge than saving a beautiful woman. I found this excerpt from The Art of Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West: A Critical Appreciation insightful:

"This is not a love scene as much as a quiet, vicious duel played out in soft gestures to soft music, a kind of amorous equivalent to the other scenes in Leone films where he finds slower, more drawn out ways to approach the violence of the West."

Some of my favorite quotes from Once Upon a Time in the West:

Jill: If you want to, you can lay me over the table and amuse yourself. And even call in your men. Well. No woman ever died from that. When you’re finished, all I’ll need will be a tub of boiling water, and I’ll be exactly what I was before – with just another filthy memory.

Cheyenne: (sighs) You make good coffee, at least?

Cheyenne: You know, Jill, you remind me of my mother. She was the biggest whore in Alameda and the finest woman that ever lived. Whoever my father was, for an hour or for a month – he must have been a happy man.

Jill: “You don’t look anything like the noble defender of poor, defenseless widows, but then again I don’t look much like a defenseless widow.”

Jill: Hey, you’re sort of a handsome man.

Cheyenne: But I’m not the right man. And neither is he.

You don't understand, Jill. People like that have something inside... something to do with death. If that fellow lives, coming through that door, he'll pick up his gear and say 'adios.'

It's funny, the first time I watched Once Upon a Time in the West I actually paid more attention to the drama between Frank and Harmonica. This time watching it I really appreciated what Leone did with Jill's character and I LOVED Cheyenne.

"It was with Cheyenne's roguish charm that Leone most identified. It is often under-emphasized, especially by those critics who fault or praise Leone for his operatic bombast, that this film, in the long run, is paced to the loping, world-weary rhythms of Cheyenne." From The Art of Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West: A Critical Appreciation

Idk if a Western novel as brilliant as Once Upon a Time in the West exists but I'm going to search. Someone suggested Valdez is Coming by Elmore Leonard. I'll give it a try. It might be time for me to read Lonesome Dove.

[Inna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Douglas Clayborne travels to pick up a horse he purchased and instead finds the heroine, Isabel, right as she is going into labor. He realizes that her circumstances are dire, and so he stays with her and the baby. The heroine’s husband was killed and an evil man is trying to force her into marriage... but Douglas is determined to help her.

The story was overall very sweet and enjoyable to read. Unfortunately, Douglas acted like a total idiot right at the end, which partially ruined the story for me. He forced a separation because he was sure that she wouldn’t want him after some time had passed... and SHE HAD TO COME BACK TO HIM. 😔 What a disappointing ending.

Safe; heroine was married to her best friend, but she didn’t have any passion with her first husband, they were just comfortable together.

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was slightly better than Travis's story. Though Douglas really took a long time to pull his head out of his ass.

[♥Sharon♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww I really liked Douglas Clayborne. Another sweet story that is part of Julie Garwood's Rose series. I thought Isabel was a lovely leading lady and she was a bit feisty. She sure did put Douglas in his place at the end. :)

[~Nichole~ Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rounding up to 5 stars even tho there was a little bit too much push pull for me. It's a true testament of a great author when you simply hang on for the ride when the characters are driving you crazy . Isabelle's stubborn yet brave personality and snarky banter was just so refreshing. Douglas simply took loyal and steady, protective and honorable to a whole different level. I really wanted to shake them but everything just fell in place when it needed to. Little Parker was so adorable and knew exactly how to get these two to back off and calm down.
I need Julie to please get back to historical soon.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading.

Another adorable book in this terrific series. Oh, those boys are such devils! But, they have hearts of gold. ;)

[Jamie :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really enjoying these novellas! The clayborn brothers are a delight and I loved Douglas story! Him and Isabel are so tender and you can’t help but route for them 🥰 such a great country historical romance series!

4 stars 🌟

[Laura V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

2015 Reading Challenge: #37 Libro con un color en el titulo

-Tienes que dejar de hacer eso.
La gravedad de su tono la hizo sentir un sofoco por todo su cuerpo.
-¿Hacer qué? -preguntó, casi sin aliento.
-Estar cada día más bonita.

Jajaja no me di cuenta de que había elegido otro libro de Garwood para leer hasta que vi la reseña del anterior XD Sabía que me sonaba a algo :'D

Encantador, tierno por momentos, dulce por otros, llevadero, corto y familiar. Me encanta ♥
Isabel es un amor y Douglas es un Clayborne, el apellido lo dice todo.
Me encantaría decir más, pero es muy corto, y aun así se disfruta.

[Gohnar23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was immediately hooked at the start and it doesn't disappoint! It was a short n sweet story about Isabel and Douglas and how they manages the antagonist Boyle.

[Arch · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels nice to go back and reread about the Claybornes. I have the combination book - The Clayborne Brides, but Tuesday, September 8, 2009, I had a chance to go to the library and found a copy of the single book - One White Rose and I am happy that I did. I use to own the single copy to all three books, but not anymore.

Douglas story is cute.

Douglas and Isabel were meant to be together. Thank goodness, he came to her house to pay her husband for a horse he bought and never seen. If he hadn't, who knows what would have happen to Isabel. The poor woman was a widow and going to be having a baby.

She couldn't get any help, because of the town's bully. Boyle. He was so mean, he didn't care that Isabel was a widow. He probably killed her husband or had him killed. Most likely it the murder was caused by Boyle's action.

He wouldn't let the doctor go and check on Isabel, neither was she able to leave her house. When I have gotten to the part, where Douglas bought groceries he stole from a store in town - I couldn't help but wonder about Isabel and her son, Parker. They would have died.

Isabel was eventually going to run out of food and since she couldn't go into town to get any food, she was going to die. Boyle wanted her to marry him, but she didn't like him. I don't blame her.

As always, Cole is Cole. He makes me laugh. He can be messy too.

Ms. Garwood knows how to bring stories to life.

[Jasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

128 pages. The book is short. I read it in a short span of time. But in that short time, this short book never failed to amaze, frustrate and amaze me again.

The book, despite being short, it did not have any shortcomings for me. It was perfect the way it was. In fact, this is my favorite in the series.

This is Douglas Clayborne's story. After imminent danger of being shot by a woman who's almost going to deliver a child starts a short but touching love story. He went out of the way to claim an Arabian horse, but little did he know that he would end up claiming a woman and a child in a process.

Since this is a short book, and short seems to be my word of the day, I think its justifiable that the review I make is also short. But don't be deceived, because even though this is one short book, Douglas and Isabel's love story would be definitely be staying in my heart for a long time.

[*CJ* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Douglas was such a sweet character. As he goes to purchase his horse from Parker's farm, he meets his widow Isabel, who is in labor and decides to help her out. He also vows to save her from Boyle/the goons who want to take over her land and kind of becomes her knight in shining armor.
I loved the interactions between the main couple and Parker. There is a mild angst when Douglas tries to make Isabel face "reality", but it is resolved quickly.
Really enjoyed this book!!
Safe read
4/5

[Jamie]

Can't read a book where the hero has my brothers name lol

[Sabrina (Soter) Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Si voltò ed ecco Isabel. Era sull’ultimo gradino e lo fissava.
Lui dimenticò come camminare. Non riusciva a credere che fosse lì. Sembrava una pazza furiosa ed era, senza dubbio, la donna più bella che avesse mai visto… o amato.
All’inferno l’onore. Giusto o sbagliato, non l’avrebbe mai lasciata andare."

Seconda (terza in realtà XD) storia dedicata ai fratelli Clayborne, nonostante la brevità che tronca veloce il finale, devo dire che l'ho trovata molto più completa e coerente rispetto alla storia di Travis ed Emily.... merito probabilmente di Isabel, una donna fragile e vulnerabile ma allo stesso tempo decisamente coraggiosa e forte, che poco ha in comune con la svampita Emily XD La loro storia coinvolge molto di più la famiglia dei Clayborne e mi è piaciuto vederli intromettersi tutti in massa XD il ricongiungimento tra i due alla fine è molto dolce e chiude degnamente il racconto *ç*

[Isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pertenece a una serie que no he leído y creo que eso me ha hecho perderme algún detalle sobre el protagonista masculino sobre todo, ya que la serie es sobre su familia.

Es una historia bonita y corta, pero que no ha llegado a emocionarme ni a encantarme quizás por lo que he dicho antes. También la historia de amor me parece algo apresurada.

No es una mala lectura pero no he conectado mucho quizás porque me ha parecido poco creíble. En fin, esta es una autora que gusta mucho y es una de las “clásicas”, sin embargo lo poco que he leído de ella siempre me ha parecido un poco flojo, que me cojea por algún sitio. Quizás en otra ocasión.

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Another sweet read. Bit more of a punch to it than the previous book.

[Nσҽɱí · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ☆
Una historia corta,entretenida y bien escrita. Me ha gustado bastante

[Yelania Nightwalker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Douglas llega a casa de Isabel buscando un caballo que había comprado y se encuentra con ella apuntándole con un arma, después de un par de minutos descubre que ella está embarazada y casi a punto de tener al bebé. Isabel es una mujer muy fuerte y muy inteligente, pero está sola. No hay nadie que le pueda brindar ayuda y no le queda de otra más que confiar en Douglas, a quien no conoce de nada. Ambos se quedan atrapados en esa situación sin haberla pedido. Conforme la novela avanza y ellos pasan más tiempo juntos se van enamorando...

Sin duda alguna Julie Garwood tiene novelas más bonitas y con más sustancia que ésta. Es una historia predecible, sin mucho rollo ni demasiadas pretensiones pero la disfruté y me la leí de una sentada. La novela tiene todos los elementos necesarios para gustar. Es más bien un 3.5/5

[Canette Arille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice book. I really like the male main character here. I like this love story between him and Isabel Grant. I dont want to tell you the whole book, because I want you to discover it alone. Just read it ...

[moi, k.y.a. · Rating 2 out of 5]

romance döngümde debelenirken, seride Travis’in ardından Clayborn kardeşlerden Douglas’a sıra geldi ama önceki kitaptakinin tıpkısının aynısı, kısalık sorunu vardı.

yazar, nedenini anlamadığım bir şekilde serinin başındaki ve sonundaki kitapları uzun, aradakileri de kısa kısa yazmış. sanki kardeşlerin hatırı kalmasın, kısa da olsa yazayım demiş gibi. ne yazık ki bu kısalık da karakterlere alışacak, ilişki gelişimlerine şahitlik edecek fırsatı vermiyor. çiftin birbirine olan ilgisini kabul etmesi uzun sürüyor ve bir anda kitap bitiyor. oldu bittiye gelmiş hissettiriyor bana bu seri ikidir.

Adam’ın kitabı da muhtemelen aynı şekilde hissettirecek. seri yarım bırakmayı, hele ki atlamayı sevmediğim için devam edeceğim muhtemelen ama asıl son kitaptan umutluyum birazcık.

[**Sognatrice di libri** · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stelle scarse

Secondo capitolo di questa serie decisamente migliore del precedente anche se non eccellente paragonato ad altri libri di questa scrittrice ma nel complesso un bel libro.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hardwood heroines are little spitfires!

[Gillian Murrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 3 is the story of Douglas and Isabel, this is a rather sweet story. When Douglas first meets Isabel she has gone into labour 3 to 4 weeks early and there is no one around so Douglas has to help deliver the baby. Isabel's husband is dead so she lives all alone on her property. Baby Parker is born safe and sound. Land thief Boyle has his mind set one marrying the young widow and taking her land. Douglas finds he has to hang around for another two months to protect Isabel while Parker grows strong enough for them to leave.

[AlohaMyPikachu · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I did with my review for One Pink Rose, I'm going to keep this review short and sweet.

I won’t bore with details of the story. In my opinion it's quite straightforward: The hero arrives unexpectedly at the heroine's to collect a horse he purchased from the heroine's late husband. Unbeknownst to the hero, he's just arrived at a good moment. The heroine is being threatened by a rich bully who has intimidated the entire town, cut the heroine off from supplies and people in an attempt to force her to marry him.

Oh, and on top of being cut off from civilization, the heroine winds up going into early labor when the hero arrives, and it’s up to him to take charge.

This book follows the same kind of format as One Pink Rose. It's not a very long story and things happen one after another. All I could think by the time I got to the second book was that I really like the pace. Some novels, I think to myself, why is this dialogue here? Or, why are we being entertained by little fluff scenes that have no bearing on the story? Naturally, I can answer my own snobby questions and say the author does it because he or she CAN do it.

With the way the series is going, Garwood seems determined to just get straight to the point of things. The reader is shown what they need to know and then boom! Next scene, next part of the plot.

I have to say I enjoyed the way Garwood does this, because it kept me hanging on. I couldn’t' stop because there didn't seem to be any moments where the reader could pause. And she always seemed to end the chapters with some kind of dangling cliffhanger, or some enticing line that made you keep turning pages.

[Canan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh Douglas!! tüm şekerliğine rağmen,bazen cidden kalın kafalı olabiliyorsun.
Kitap yine kısa olması nedeniyle canımı sıktı, çünkü kısa kitap sevmem..Ama hikaye ve olaylar çok güzeldi.Yazar geniş bir çerçevede işleseydi çok daha hariha olacaktı. :)
Douglas satın aldığı atları eski sahibinden almak için düşmüştür yola, varmıştır bilinen istikametteki eve.Ama birde ne görsün, elinde silahıyla onu vurmaya niyetli bir kadın.Aldı mı başına belayı?
İsabel ise kocasını kaybetmiş, ve oldukça kasvetli, yağmurlu bir günde erken doğum yapmaktadır.Birde tanımadığı bir adamı evinin yakınlarında görmek yok mu, ciddi anlamda ödünü koparmıştır.Onu kendisini bir türlü rahat bırakmayan, sürekli rahatsız eden Boyle'nin adamlarından birisi sanmıştır.
Boyle ise kasabanın kabadayısı mübarek, kızımızda -ve arazisinde- gözü vardır.Bu yüzden de sık sık hanım kızımızı ziyaret -rahatsız- eder.Ve kasabalıların ona yardım etmesine ise izin vermez.Yoksa olacaklardan sorumlu değildir.
Böyle bir durumda Douglas, kızımızında hamile -ve doğurmak üzere- olduğunu farkedince napsın ki?Kızcağızı orada bırakamaz değil mi?
Bırakmaz tabi, bebeğin dünyaya gelmesine, anne-oğuun sağlıklarına kavuşmasına ve zamanlada refaha kavuşmalarına yardım etmelidir.Doğasında var keratanın napsın :))
Tabi kötülerde boş durmaz ve çiftimize zor anlar yaşatır yani :))Ehh peki Clayborne kardeşler kötülere pabuç bırakır mı? hayırrr :)
Yine seğirlik,eğlenceli ve okunası bir hikayeydi...Ben sevdim..tavsiye ederim :D

[BJ Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the Claybournes the first time I read For the Roses. In that book, Douglas was the brother who first discovered the baby who was thrown in the refuse heap (she became their baby sister Mary Rose), so this role was perfect for him. He travels to a farm to collect the Arabian stallion he had purchased, but instead finds himself delivering the widow's baby during a rainstorm. Then of course he has to stay a while because the doctor says that the premature baby can't be moved from the cabin 'for 8 weeks; 10 would be better' if he's to have a chance at survival. Was the good doctor doing some matchmaking? Douglas & Isabel are stranded alone at the cabin for 2 months, so you can see where this is going. This is vintage Garwood - the dialogue between H/h and among the brothers is great (all the brothers put in an appearance).

Just writing this makes me want to read FTR again!